Technical Field
The present invention relates to apparatus for the continuous decatizing of fabrics, including woven or knitted fabrics, by subjecting the fabric to controlled heat, moisture and pressure treatment.
Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,643 (Riedel) discloses an apparatus for the continuous decatizing of woven fabrics or knitted fabrics, in which the fabric is passed directly over a rotatably mounted and heatable cylinder. A conventionally tensioned backing cloth is trained over a moisturizing device before it runs onto the cylinder adjacent the fabric. An impermeable thrust belt is looped around the cylinder, fabric and backing cloth. The fabric, which is held between the cylinder and the backing cloth is decatized by the application of pressure and moisture. With this apparatus, an excessive gloss effect (greasy lustre) occurs on one side of the fabric due to its direct contact with the heated cylinder, whereas a matt surface pattern forms on the opposite side of the fabric due to the direct contact with the backing cloth. The result is a different appearance of the fabric on the two sides, and this is a disadvantage.
The excessive gloss effect on one side of the fabric can be reduced by making the surface temperature of the thrust belt variable independently of the surface temperature of the cylinder by means of a deflecting roll situated in front of the cylinder, relative to the direction of movement of the thrust belt (DE-PS No. 2 727 514). Although the front or back of the fabric is in direct contact with the heated cylinder, and despite the extremely high pressure forces that the belt exerts on the fabric, this possibility of infinite control of the thrust belt temperature results in the fabric having only a moderate gloss. If the front of the fabric is in direct contact with the cylinder, then the temperature of the cylinder wall is reduced in comparison with the temperature of the thrust belt, while when the back of the fabric is in direct contact with the cylinder the temperature of the cylinder wall is reduced in comparison with the temperature of the thrust belt. However, reducing the temperature results in a reduction of the fabric fixing.